for the white house tightens as both candidates get ready for this week's second presidential debate.newpollstonightshow the president with a slight edge on mitt romney but experts say it is still anybody's race to win. the president hunkered down in virginia tonight preparing for tuesday. but mitt romney spent the day out on the campaign trail. darcy spencer is following both campaigns tonight. >> today mitt romney still basking in the glow of his post-debate bump. and the president is reminding voters of the bailout of the auto industry, and it paid off. it's a weekend of debate preparation for president barack obama. he boarded air force one heading to williamsburg where he'll get ready for the town hall-style debate taking place tuesday. before leaving washington he reminded voters of his administration's rescue of the auto industry. >> but we refused to throw in the towel and do nothing. we refused to let detroit go bankrupt. i bet on american workers and american injean newty and three years later that bet is paying off in a big way. >> reporter: republican contender mitt romney is in

the debate. john kerry is once again playing the roleofromney, andromneyistraveling all over ohio while prepping for the debate. it will be a town hall style. the latest poll numbers may be close, but president obama's campaign has one major thing to celebrate. total fund raising has been more than $181 million. the republicans have not released their september fundraising numbers. >> if you have not registered to vote yet, time is running out. the deadline for maryland and west virginia voters is tuesday, while the mail in deadline for registration passed last week. they can still regular strer this friday at any brie brar, fire house, or online. special interest groups in maryland are spending big bucks. supporters for and against question seven that would pay for a casey know have spent more than 47 million. that's on pace to exceed their spending. there's also been big spending for question six. groups supporting and opposing that law have spent more than $4 million in an effort to sway voters. >> major ramp and lane closures this weekend. the interloop exit rampl toiz i izeen -- ra

the big winner in that first debate,mr.romneyhasfaced a larger, more enthusiastic crowd ever since. campaigning wednesday in the critical battleground state of ohio, trailing in the polls, but narrowing the gap. >> and the key thing i want people across ohio to understand and to ask themselves as you go into the voting booth, as you vote is can we really afford the cost of barack obama? and the answer is no. >> reporter: now tonight's debate will be a town hall format with questions coming from members of the audience. it will focus on both domestic and foreign issues. savannah? >> ron mott, thank you. so what should we expect tonight? david gregory is moderator of "meet the press." and chuck todd is the chief white house correspondent. good morning to you both. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> let's start with your new poll. florida, ohio, and virginia. the battleground states, we'll put the results on the screen. and what we see is a tight, tight dead heat in florida and in virginia. in ohio, you still see the president hanging on to a lead. i guess you could say that romney